Save the Children warns of health risks for young esports players

The competitive gaming industry is failing to adequately protect the health and wellbeing of young players, according to Euronews, citing a report published on Tuesday by Save the Children. The report, titled Protecting Child Rights in Esports, highlights that up to 300 million children worldwide participate in esports and face risks including sleep disruption, mental health pressures, musculoskeletal problems, sexism, and online abuse. [1]

Save the Children stated that protection for young competitors remains fragmented due to a lack of common standards across the fast-growing industry. The charity urged the esports sector to prioritize child rights as established in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. [1]

Esports refers to organized multiplayer video game competitions between individual players or teams. The industry professionalized in the late 1990s and 2000s, developing into an economy supported by sponsorships, media rights, and major tournament prizes. [3][4]